My name
is Orton “Brother” King. I live on Park Beach on the island
of Bequia, which is the largest in the chain of the southern
Caribbean island nation called St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. I am a native skin-diving fisherman and because
of my long concerns about creatures in our oceans going
scarce, with some already extinct, I am trying to save one
of these beautiful species—the hawksbill turtle—from
extinction.

From boyhood, sea turtles always fascinated me, especially
the hawksbill. Like me, divers and snorkelers are always
thrilled to see a turtle in the ocean. Unfortunately, this
turtle will be extinct in the Caribbean sooner than many
expect.

At 57 I
retired from the ocean to dedicate my life to saving the
turtles. My project involves monitoring beaches, checking
nests, trying to protect mother turtles and eggs from
poachers, collecting hatchlings, and taking them to my
sanctuary to keep them safe during the most vulnerable years
of their life. Outreach to our island youth regarding this
fascinating species is also an important part of the
sanctuary's mission.

I keep
the turtles in my sea-water ponds, feeding them on canned tuna for
six months. Then they are fed small fish (sardines, etc.)
until they are 3 years old (14 inches long) at which time
they are released into the ocean. This gives them a better
chance to survive, and instead of one from one thousand
reaching maturity, this project will help repopulate the
ocean sooner with about fifty from one hundred.

The
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary is making a big difference in the
survival of these creatures. I have been in operation now
for over twelve years and have already released 2000 three-year
olds with my special mark (a hole drilled in the back end of
the shell). Divers are seeing these marked turtles
throughout the waters of the Grenadines.